Monday, June 20, 2011

Gardening with Kieth

It is so true what they say.

Life is what happens while you're busy making plans.

The weekend was to be a joyful blend of to-dos. The pots for the herb garden by the front door are still full of dirt and waiting to be planted. I was going to wash and detail my Dad's car for Fathers Day, and get caught up on a variety of mundane house chores. I have no idea what my Pa does in his car, it always used to be pristine. Now there is a layer of stuff in there....it looks like someone attacked a package of English muffins with a chainsaw. I am thinking he has a secret life...one that includes fast food breakfast sandwiches....can't prove it. Anyway, he is 77 and can do what he wants....

On Saturday my Pa went to Gabriola Isand for a day trip. My Mom stayed behind. I think she also had plans to get some things done. At noon she called to say that she wasn't feeling quite right, nothing serious, and could I come over. I ended up spending the rest of the day with her. We talked and talked and got caught up on where we are at in life. We drank tea, ate soup, cooked boiled eggs, drank coffee, talked more. It was great and I can't think of a better way to have spent a cool, cloudy June afternoon.

Now it is Monday. I worked last night, went to bed at 7am, got up at 3pm and have to go back again tonight. No time for anything except a quick blog entry, but that's life. Right?

A few years back I had this really cool dream. I was in a garden, maybe the back yard of the house I grew up in. I was on all fours with my butt in the air, weeding happily when I heard whistling. I turned to see who had entered my garden and there was Kieth Richards! He was wearing dark sunglasses and lots of chains and bracelets, a very fancy tuxedo style jacket and some honkin', funky shoes. He was carrying a small potted plant.

"Hi Kieth, what brings you to my garden?" I ask.
"Ruch mar guh promraw fa dor gorgdu" he replies.
Translation," I thought you may enjoy this lovely Primrose"
"Thanks so much! Tea?" I ask.
We end up having tea outside in the sun talking about music and our favorite flowers.

I was so delighted when I woke up. The dream stuck with me for days because it was sooo real and sooo fun.

I decided I would paint my dream. This is as far as I got. It is far from finished. The white blob in the background is me weeding and looking up to see Kieth. I was quite happy with it as I recall.
Sadly, I was dealing with an illness in the family at that time. Things happened, my spouse needed to be cared for, there was the day job and the dog needed to be walked. There were appointments and set backs and emotional unraveling. Groceries and food preparation and chores....no time for painting or anything else remotely creative. The momentum was lost. The painting was put in the spare room against the wall.

So you set out to do one thing and life has a way of pulling you, kicking and screaming, in a completely different direction. I believe for the better. It builds character. It makes us more flexible, resilient. Then, if and when we get back to a place where we are able to resume those plans, hopefully it comes with more passion and appreciation than we ever could have had before.

Just let it go and enjoy every day for what it is and with all that it brings.

About Me

I have lived on the West Coast all my life and have always found inspiration in the natural beauty and changing seasons and yes,even months of endless drizzle. Having been a journal writer for over 30 years I have decided to change it up a bit and start a blog. For years, when I was younger, I was determined that I would eventually make my living as and artist,potter, writer, but found that the "day job" always interfered with the momentum and discipline that this requires. I found myself getting very frustrated and disillusioned. Now with some years behind me and a little bit of insight about how this life actually works, I have decided that maybe there is a way to find a balance. I believe the garden is a good metaphor for the way life has presented itself to me,sometimes orderly,sometimes chaos, always changing. We must introduce new things and weed out old ones that don't work anymore and yet there is beauty in it....and hope, no matter what state it is in. Welcome to my Tangled Garden.